When Must My Washington Business Be Registered With the Department of Revenue?

When Must My Washington Business Be Registered With the Department of Revenue?

Experienced Attorneys Helping Businesses Register with the Washington State Department of Revenue

You’ve had a dream to run your own business. You have run countless “what-if” computations. You have determined what sort of capital needs your business requires. You may even have a specific location for your operation. It is vitally important during this end-of-planning stage to recognize that there are a few legal hoops through which you must also jump. One of the most important is registering your business with the Washington State Department of Revenue.

Basic Registration Requirements

Generally speaking, every business owner must register with the Department of Revenue if the business meets any of the following conditions:

The business is required to collect sales tax

The gross income of the business is $12,000 per year or more

The business is required to pay taxes or fees to the Department of Revenue (most are so required)

The business buys or processes special wood products

Department of Revenue’s Online System

In most cases, your business can be appropriately registered by completing an online Business License Application. There is a minimum $19 fee required for registration. Additional fees may be due in some instances. For example, if you plan on selling cigarettes or tobacco, there is a special $175 fee due as a Cigarette Retailer. Note also that business applications that are filed in paper form can take up to six weeks to process.

Unified Business Identifier Number

Once you have registered your business with the Department, you will receive a Unified Business Identifier (UBI) Number if you do not already have one. This nine-digit number is used to identify your business with the Department. The Department will also send you information regarding how often you must report data (and taxes) to the state.

Back Tax Issues

If your business has operated for some time and you failed to register with the Department of Revenue at the required earlier time, all isn’t lost. The Departments has a Voluntary Disclosure Program. Under appropriate circumstances, the Department will even waive up to 39 percent of the potential penalties you may owe. It can truly be a relief to get into compliance.

Business Establishment Process Involves Complexity

If you are planning a new business, you already know that much is at stake. There are countless details that have to be managed. For many business issues, you are in the best position to know what to do. When it comes to the legal and regulatory environment, most new business owners find themselves in uncharted territory. While many business owners assume they cannot afford sound, legal assistance in the beginning days of the enterprise, usually the opposite is true. You can’t afford to make mistakes with which you’ll have to live for years to come.

Blado Kiger Bolan, P.S. has more than 30 years of combined experience providing businesses with quality services throughout the Pacific Northwest. We have helped many businesses maneuver what can seem like minefields of rules and red tape. We are also adept at advising established businesses. Because of our firm’s extensive experience in business litigation, we are also better equipped than many law firms to help you avoid expensive litigation. We pride ourselves on designing the simplest, most effective solution for your legal issue. For assistance with any sort of business law issue, contact us on the web, or call our office at 253-272-2997.

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Blado Kiger Bolan, P.S.

Our attorneys in Tacoma, Washington, take a straight-forward approach to the law. Although some legal problems can demand complex solutions or need to be resolved through the courts, it is always our goal to find the simplest solution to a legal dispute.